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The hours passed in a blur, and as sweat dripped down the back of my neck, I let myself collapse into a sitting position next to an out of breath Calliope.
We had gone through drills, making sure she had her stance perfected and how she moved with the sword; at first, she had worked as though she and the sword were two separate entities, but as the morning passed by, she grew to view it as an extension of her arm, and she was giving me a true test in our mock fights.
Her face had been pure, undiluted pleasure as we fought, her laughter ringing through the large arena and drawing attention from the soldiers nearby. I had been out of practice, and my muscles screamed with overuse aftermonths of not being allowed to even hold a sword, but the thrum of adrenaline and muscle memory had soon taken over, and it felt like being home.
I reached over and patted Calliope’s shoulder, grinning at her when her head lulled to the side and she looked up at me through heavily lidded eyes. Her cheeks were red with exertion, and as tired as she seemed to be, she looked ecstatic.
“You did really good,” I nodded, taking a drink from a metal bottle full of water that a soldier had left for us. I had meant to thank him, but he had scurried out of the training ring before I had even gotten to see his face. It felt weird, but I did not think too much on it.
The water tasted like copper as I swallowed it down, and I frowned, scrunching my nose and resealing the lid before I put it back down on the sand.
“You’re a good teacher,” Calliope laughed, breathless as she pushed herself up on her elbows. “Same time tomorrow?”
I laughed, my head going back against my shoulders.
“I think Cyrus might have something to say about that,” I smirked, and this time it was Calliope’s turn to laugh.
A commotion near the entrance of the arena had us both turning. Guards were arguing with Gracie as she tried to push her way through them, and she was shouting at the very top of her lungs, trying to get my attention.
I scrambled to stand, pushing myself into a run as I crossed the large, sandy training ring. Soldiers jumped out of my way as I passed, and I did not have the presence of mind to stop them. Vertigo took over when I was halfway to her, and I stumbled slightly, catching myself on my hands and pushing myself back up into a run again.
The guards at the door were in a row of three, Gracie jumping in front of them to try to see me.
“Move.” I called, my voice carrying around the space. The lines of guards split down the middle without hesitation, and Gracie rushed through, catching me before I barreled into her chest. I dry heaved, the running making me feel more unwell than the sword training had. I could still taste the copper from the water I had drank, and that did not seem to be helping.
Gracie slapped a hand on my back, helping me catch my breath as I stood up right. Putting my hands on her arms, I looked at her properly. Wide eyes full of panic, her hair was unbrushed and wild around her face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, breathless still and with worry starting to bubble in my stomach.
“Alexandre is here.”
38
Kira
My legs could not carry me fast enough as I bolted through the castle grounds.
Sand from the training ring still stuck to my leggings, and I knew I was leaving a trail of it behind us as Gracie and I ran for the main lobby, where apparently, all hell was breaking loose.
I could hear the shouting before we had even reached the main building of the castle, and my heart sank into my stomach. Leo was running in the same direction as us, his mage’s robes flowing behind him, with a look of sheer disbelief on his face. He tried to call out to us, but his words were lost on the wind as we picked up speed, the shouting inside growing louder than the rain and thunder outside.
Heavy doors slammed behind us as we dove inside, entering a lower floor hallway that looked out over theEastern gardens, and I stopped to catch my breath for a second as voices roared through the hallways. At the top of them, louder than everyone, was Cyrus.
I cursed out loud, sliding on the now wet marble floors as I turned in the direction of the main lobby, my boots taking a minute to find traction on the floors and slowing me down momentarily.
People, guards, and staff members alike, were packed into the lobby. I slid into the back of an armoured guard and winced, their armour no doubt leaving bruises on my chest where I hit him and began to push my way through the throngs of people. They were not for moving easily, but the more I pushed, the quicker they got out of our way.
As the crowd thinned, I could see Cyrus. He was standing with his sword drawn, pointing towards a cloaked figure standing in the main entrance. I could see the long, white beard peeking out from under the hood, and my heart sang in my chest.
“Cyrus!” I called, breaking through the final ring of people, and skidding to a halt.
He had a face like thunder, his eyes wide and his jaw set as though he was gritting his teeth. His eyes flickered to me momentarily before they flew back to where Alexandre was standing.
“Do you know this person?” He asked, his voice loud and carrying around the eerily silent lobby. Leo and Graciehad managed to follow my path through the crowd, and even Calliope had made her way to the commotion. She was looking around her with her eyebrows knit together.
“Yes!” I almost screamed, exasperation clear in my tone, “Yes, I do. It’s Alexandre. He’s a friend.” I stepped forward slowly, making my way closer to Cyrus all while trying to keep an eye on Alexandre where he stood. He had his hands clasped together in front of him and a look that said he was expecting this kind of commotion on his face. He smiled at me, nodding his head slightly.
Placing my hand on Cyrus’s wrist, I pushed down gently until he lowered his sword. It was slow, and his eyes never left where Alexandre stood, but eventually, he did.
